Toto I don't think we're in Hawaii anymore

Today we bid our wonderful seminar leader and fellow participants Adieu and  prepared ourselves to make the most of our last full day in lovely Hawaii. Upon arriving to the airport to pick up our rental car and strike out on our final adventure we were glad when the rental agent told us she would give us an upgrade. Imagine our chagrin when we discovered that we'd been upgraded to a brand new white Mercury Marquis...yep your grandfather's automobile. Still in all we decided to make the most of it and zoomed down the highway in our long luxury sedan.

Without a doubt we knew where our final leg of the journey would take us...Papakolea Beach. We  had learned so much about this geological rarity from our seminar leader that we absolutely had to visit this beach of green sand located inside one of the cinder cones of Mauna Loa. Dr. Blay had explained to us that green sand results from the mineral olivine that is present in volcanic lava which accumulates as the other components of volcanic ash wash away due to the erosive force of the ocean. (Olivine in its gem form is a peridot for all of you August babies) Of course we'd done our research and we knew that the three-mile hike there and back would  not be would not be a journey for the faint of heart. Still Team Geology was ready to meet the challenge; we'd just hiked over 13,000 feet yesterday for goodness sakes! We could handle it!

We zoomed down the highway to South Point and prepared to witness firsthand one of the two beaches like this on earth. As we drove to our destination we watched the landscape change from lush, humid and green to dry, dusty, and brown.  Upon our arrival a couple of us, and we won't say who, had to channel our inner Girl Scout when we noticed that the area was devoid of "facilities." Actually, the area was devoid of everything. Unsure yet determined we put on our hiking shoes and prepared to walk the long, grueling trek to the beach. Problem #1...which way do we go? There are no signs, no guides, no cell phone signals, no directions of any sort! After asking a local jewelry vendor the direction we needed to walk, she informed us that we could choose to make the hike or take the "shuttle."  SHUTTLE? We gazed in the distance and noticed how the land twisted and turned and zigged and zagged and felt the sun beat down on our faces. Should we really cop out like this? We've walked across craters and up and down volcanic lava trails. We've climbed and tripped and stumbled our way through all kinds of terrain in Hawaii. We are the mighty Team Geolgy; we couldn't wimp out now...or could we?...HOW MUCH? the more vocal members of our team asked. It did not take long to decide to ride...and oh what a ride it turned out to be!

David was his name and the simple life is his game. Our driver pulled up in an old SUV that looked like it couldn't make it three inches much less three miles down the path to the beach. Even though the dashboard had a big hole in it, wires were sticking out all over the place, the AC didn't work, the rear windows couldn't go down and the fabric on the roof of the car almost touched our heads, we welcomed David and his hooptie as our saving grace from a treacherous fate. As David peeled off we were captivated by his charm and humor and were mortified by what lay before us. The SUV bumped and jerked as David put his four wheel drive to the test and drove us along the bumpy terrain. SHAKE RATTLE and ROLL! As we heard the horrible sound of huge chunks of rock rubbing against the bottom of our shuttle and held on for dear life we thought that riding in a tank would have probably been a much better option.  SHAKE RATTLE and ROLL!We watched as people traveled down the trek bewildered and befuddled with dazed expressions. Mothers and fathers, children and grandparents, the young and the old were lost and confused in the maze of treachery that Papakolea presented.  David explained to us that all of those people were heading in the wrong direction. They had chosen the "spaghetti roads" rickety, deep, ruts close to the ocean leading to an insurmountable wall, an eventual turnaround,  and an additional hour to the hike. Many decide to turn back and never even find Papakolea! We considered ourselves to be among the lucky ones as David's SUV climbed up and around the winding path of rocks that ranged in size from pebble to boulder. Jostled and slung around for twenty to twenty-five more minutes all the while we asked ourselves if this beach was really worth all of the trouble. "That sand had better be pretty darn green!" one of our team members exclaimed as we agreed in unison. SHAKE RATTLE and ROLL! Finally as our vehicle came to a screeching halt at the top of the cinder-shaped structure we discovered that the fun wasn't in our hands just yet. The beach is at the very bottom of the cinder cone and we were standing at the top. We had to climb down a set of stairs and brave some very steep and sharp rocks but finally we made it to the green sand beach unscathed! David was also kind enough to wait for us to take us back to the entrance!

We were almost in a state of shock, partially because our insides were still vibrating from the shaking and quaking of the drive, and partially because we realized that without David we too would have probably been one of the dazed and bewildered folks walking in the blazing sun wondering if the green sand beach is a myth. As we carefully climbed down noticing the amazing features of the rocks that had been hollowed out by nature, the sparkling olive colored sand and turquoise blue water captivated us. The turbulent ocean waves crashed back and forth on the beach as we were stunned by the beauty of this once in a lifetime scene. Climbing back up to David our savior, we were satisfied that we'd made the right choice to view the beach and of course to allow ourselves to be shuttled to this secluded, practically impossible to find spot.

Traveling back along the bumpy road proved to be equally adventurous. As we drove back along the road with orange dust blowing in through the front windows we noticed two women sprinting at lightning speed life towards us. "Can we get a ride?" their accented English exclaimed in desperation. Being the nice guy that he was, David opened up the back of the SUV and bid the ladies to climb into the hatchback area of the truck. We also stopped to rescue a bewildered family who seemed to be at their wits end "Let me check on that family." David said as he told them to walk to a shade tree and wait for him to return and pick them up. Heaving a great sigh of relief as we pulled into the parking lot we gave David a generous donation for his services, looked at our dusty, wet, green sand covered shoes and realized that we had just endured an experience that words or pictures could never do justice. As we climbed back into our car we noticed a young couple with their beautiful young daughter preparing to take the hike. We absolutely felt compelled to explain to them the magnitude of what they were about to endure with their baby. "Take the shuttle"we exclaimed satisfied that we'd just saved another family from the treachery of Papakolea. Exhausted and delirious with laughter, we hopped back into our luxury sedan and traveled back from dry, brown, and dusty to lush, tropical, and green knowing that we will probably never travel this way again. Our memories will have to suffice as we recount this story to all who are willing to listen.